The Games We Played
by ruca518
Summary: post 5x11 Caroline is celebrating getting her PhD. in New Orleans with Elena and college best friend Kris. Will she finally face the feelings she hasn't been able to shake for the last 8 years. Klaroline one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Klaus watched from a balcony that over looked Bourbon Street as Caroline made her way through the quarter, dressed in a tight low cut navy blue dress that hugged her curves in all the right places his mouth watered. In the almost 8 years it had been since he had last seen her, he hadn't forgotten exactly how she had tasted, exactly how her body had felt under his hands. It took everything in him to sit atop his perch and not rush to her side, but after all a promise was a promise. She was exactly how he remembered her, absolutely stunning, beautiful with a smile that could light up an entire room. It was no wonder that the Mystic Falls lot had always used her to distract him, after all this time he couldn't pull his eyes away from her. Although he had kept his word, and never returned to Mystic Falls, it didn't mean that he had not kept tabs on her life, mostly through Rebekah who occasionally returned to Mystic Falls to check on Matt, or Mayor Donovan as it had turned out. After all Matt had not made Rebekah make some ridiculous promise about never return to Mystic Falls, and surprisingly Damon who in fact had been the first person who told him about Caroline's upcoming trip.

Damon had been as helpful as he was ever going to be. Especially when Damon's idea of information was a text message about 6 months ago that read "Hey vampire Ken...vampire Barbie is planning a trip. Want to guess where?"

Then another text message about two weeks ago that said "Our girls headed your way pre-graduation party. Don't let anything happen to them, and remember girls like flowers not hybrid bites"

When no one arrived Klaus had been ready to kill Damon for the obvious joke he had been playing, but he did has he had done with anything involving Caroline in the last 7 years 10 months 18 days and he guess about 5 hours since he seen her last, not that he was keeping track or anything, he did nothing. No response to any of Damon's witty text messages, nothing that anyone could use against him. They had no right to know that after all this time he still desired her affections. Rebekah had been the one to give him hope that Damon was not lying. This morning she walked into his art studio where he and his daughter had been painting.

"Hi button what are you working on" Rebekah had said as she leaned down to kiss her niece on the forehead, on the easel was a half painted flower, far more sophisticated than any 7 seven year old should have been able to do, an obvious talent she had gotten from her father.

"Oh that's beautiful; I am going to steal your daddy for just a second okay." Rebekah stood and waved for Klaus to follow her.

When they were outside in the hall, Rebekah smiled up at him and said "I thought you might like to know that I just got off the phone with Matt, and he said Caroline and Elena's flight should be arriving in the next few hours, oh and Damon said he was serious about watching them. In his words tell Klaus they are still just was much trouble as they used to be."

Rebekah left him then to spend the day painting, and thinking. Until this moment he hadn't been sure he would go looking for her. He had found a way to live with the absent space in his life he had once hoped she would fill. Caroline had become the voice in his head urging him to be better, but only in the last few years had it become a source of comfort instead of a painful reminder. Elena was coming as well, which meant any attempt he made to talk to her would be met with revulsion and hostility, and he wasn't sure he wanted to walk down that road with her again, not after their goodbye. He didn't want to spoil the memory of what had been a moment of perfection with further hatred, yet knowing all of this he still couldn't stop himself. So after reading his daughter a bedtime story, and leaving her in the loving and capable hands of Elijah and her mother, he had set out to find Caroline. Now here he was watching from a far hoping for a miracle.

Caroline stopped in front of a bar and waited for Elena to catch up she had been on the phone with Damon when Caroline had left to meet up with Kris. Kris's flight from California was delayed and she was supposed to be meeting them at the bar. Elena and Caroline had met Kristen Brown, at Whitmore in their second year when they had all pledged for the same sorority, they had bonded instantly. The fact that they had all been baby vampires trying to lead normal college lives had helped, but that wasn't what made Kris so special to both her and Elena.

Kris was the kind of friend you needed when you were on the path of self-discovery. As fiery as her bright red hair, she was bold, blunt, unapologetic, and had no problem telling people exactly where they could shove their opinions of her. Kris was witty, sarcastic, the life of the party, she was brutally honest all of the time and she always said the things everyone else was too afraid to. Caroline and Elena had always been home for one another, comfort, the friend you ran to when you wanted to hide away and not face things. Kris was the polar opposite, she was the friend you ran to when you wanted someone to hold a mirror up to you and make you face you the problems you would really rather not see.

If Caroline was being honest Kris basically reminded of female mixture of Klaus and Damon, without the serial killer tendencies, not that she hadn't killed anyone she just didn't do it regularly. And if she was being soul baring honest, that might be part of the reason why Caroline loved her so much, in a time when she was avoiding everything Klaus related especially this city she was now standing, it had been her way of keeping him in her life. Having Kris around was like having Klaus there, well except for the messy romantic attachment stuff, sometimes when Kris talked she could hear Klaus's humor, and Klaus's advice coming through.

"Hey babe" Caroline heard Kris say from behind her. Caroline spun around and hugged her best friend.

Smiling from ear to ear "Hey" Caroline replied.

In true Kris fashion she stood there with one hand on her hip; in a backless sultry green dress with none other than her trade mark low top Chuck Taylor Converse on her feet. It was an odd combination Caroline could never begin to understand but Kris pulled it off every time.

"Where's Elena at" Kris said looking around.

"Damon called, she will be here in a minute, have you checked your email?" Caroline asked

"Not in the last three minutes or so, they said it would be posted by 9 right?" Kris smiled pulling out her cell phone.  
Caroline gave a frustrated huff "They need to hurry up, we can't get this party started until after the post, and I need a drink like now"

Kris raised an eye brow " Antsy much, it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that we are in New Orleans would it?"

Caroline gave Kris the death stare and then immediately started scrolling through her phone. She let out the world most exhilarating scream "It's up it's up"

"Dude nice subject change but don't think we're not talking about this later" Kris smiled immediately looking at her phone and letting out the same exhilarated scream.

Together the two women grabbed onto each other and started jumping up and down, laughing, screaming, they looked two crazy teenagers. It was the moment they had been working for, for 8 years their doctoral dissertations had been accepted. Caroline was now Caroline Forbes PhD. While Kris had earned her doctorate in Micro Biology, Caroline had earned her in Communications/ Journalism.

"Let's get a drink, after you doctor" Kris laughed

"Oh no after you doctor" Caroline laughed back.

From behind them they heard Elena say "Wait a minute who's a doctor"

Both women turned smile and said "Why you are doctor"

All three women hugged each other and walked inside the bar.

From his perch Klaus smiled with pride, she had done it. His beautiful Caroline now held a doctorate in communications/ journalism. Maybe he should take Damon's advice and send her some flowers to congratulate her. If he could pull it off without being seen he knew would attend the ceremony, to watch her in her moment of glory. This moment should have been enough for him, he knew he should walk away now but he simply couldn't. As it always was with Caroline for him, a little wasn't enough, he need to know more about her life. Where was she planning on working, was she returning to Mystic Falls, and the thing he secretly feared most had she fallen in love. He entered the same bar through a back entrance, he choose a table just close enough that he come hear every word they said, but deep enough in the shadows that they wouldn't know he was there.

Elena, Caroline and Kris were already on their second double shot of whiskey.

"Dude I can't wait to ask some guy if he wants to play doctor" Kris joked

"Really you get a PhD, and that your first goal" Caroline laughed

"Oh come on Care you know she been waiting to use that line since she entered the doctoral program" Elena laughed.

Kris smiled and nodded "Hey a girl wants what a girl wants"

In true Caroline fashion she had taken college by storm. She had done it all, earned her bachelors , masters and her PhD. joined numerous students activities, was the head of at least four committees, pledge at a sorority, become sorority president, did every bake sale, every sorority trip, except for one. Last year when her sorority sisters had planned a Mardi Gras trip to New Orleans she had faked sick which for vampire was pretty hard to do. Elena and Kris had chosen to miss the trip as well. To show their support for something they knew she wasn't ready to take on yet. She had let every fear she kept locked away get the better of her, the fear of seeing Klaus, the fear of not seeing Klaus, the fear that Klaus hadn't moved on, the fear the Klaus had moved on, it was a never ending cycle. She hated feeling trapped by her own fears, so when Kris had suggested New Orleans for their doctoral celebration she had agreed, in her heart she knew it was time to stop letting her fear control her.

Kris pulled an envelope out of her purse and said "Okay girls are we ready"

"Oh God you brought it" Elena and Caroline said together.

"Of course I brought it rules are rules, plus it can't any worse than the game gave they us for our masters celebration trip in Cabo" Kris devilishly smiled.

Elena and Caroline gave Kris a doubtful look.

"Oh come on former cheerleaders where's your team spirit" Kris said sarcastically, then her voice became serious " This is our last college hooray guys, we can start being mature adults tomorrow, but tonight we are three woman who just became doctors, what's the point of living forever, if we don't celebrate these moments"

Elena raised her shot glass "To our last college game let's hope they took it easy on us" they all downed a shot as Kris unsealed the envelope and began to read out loud.

_In accordance with our traditions whenever our sisters gather in celebration, whether it's a sorority trips or graduations (bachelor masters or PhD) a game must be played on the first night of your trip. Below are the rules set forth upon you by your sisters._

_Oh, the Places You'll Go!_

Congratulations!  
Today is your day.  
You're off to Great Places!  
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.  
You have feet in your shoes  
You can steer yourself  
any direction you choose.  
You're on your own. And you know what you know.  
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go. - Dr. Seuss

_Caroline, Elena, and Kris  
Let us begin by saying how incredibly proud we are of the three of you. CONGRATS on becoming doctors. We know you will all do great things and change the world. Remember we love you, sisters forever. Here are the rules for your final game.  
1) If a sister says the word doctor or graduation. She must take a shot.  
2) If a sister bring up an ex. She must take a shot  
3) if a sister excuses herself to use the bathroom. She must bring back a round of shots for the table.  
4) If in a place where karaoke is held each sister must sing a song chosen by a stranger, if there is no karaoke each sister must randomly burst into song chosen from another sister's playlist.  
5) If a sister is a former cheerleader. She must randomly complete a routine at some point during the evening_  
Kris stopped reading and burst into laughter. "The two of you have fun with that one and this next one must have been a Claire rule.  
_6) Any single sisters must hook up with a guy of another sister's choosing. If a sister is in a relationship she must hand her phone over to another sister, and take a shot for every attempt her significant other make to contact her. She may not answer the phone at any point during the evening, however another sister may answer for her, as long as the sister answering ends every sentence with the phrase "in bed"  
_"Ya that's a Claire rule alright" Caroline agreed "So me and Elena choose for you, and you and Elena choose for me." They all nodded in agreement.

"Elena hand your cell over" Kris said Elena handed her cellphone over. "Oh and take a shot because you already have a missed call from Damon" Kris started reading again

_7) If a sister is hit on, the first she must say is an impression of the Count from Sesame Street (one hahaha, the next guy two hahaha, and so on). Unless the guy is the one chosen by her sisters in rule 6.  
8) If all sisters are invite to a different bar. They must go.  
9) If a sister throws up at any point during the evening she is responsible for buying breakfast in the morning.  
10) If a sister's drink sits empty on the table for longer than 2 minutes without ordering another drink, she must finish all drink on the table and buy the next round.  
11) If a sister slips and falls during the evening she must get up and immediately do either the Hookie Pookie or the Chicken Dance.  
Last rule.  
As we send you three out into the world, remember you can do anything you set your mind to.  
12) Each sister must do something she is afraid of._

Kris looked up confused "Something we're are afraid, where the heck I am I supposed to find a spider in this bar?"  
Elena and Caroline laughed "l love that you're a vampire who's afraid of spiders"

"Dude it doesn't matter what I am, at the end of the day spiders are freaking creepy, I guess I could start planning my untimely death, I fear the day I can't hide the fact that I still look 17 from my family back home in California, but that like the biggest downer ever" Kris responded.

"Wait a couple of years until I complete my residence, it will make it way easier paperwork wise anyway" Elena said trying to be helpful.

Unlike Caroline and Kris who had earned their PhDs. Elena was now an MD. She planned to reopen her father's practice in Mystic Falls, and now that Matt was Mayor and Jeremy was the future sheriff and Stefan and Bonnie controlled the Founder's Council it was safe for her to do so. In a surprising move Damon had start nursing school so he could help Elena run the practice and achieve with her dream. A decision that had sent Jeremy and Bonnie running to the nearest costume store, to buy Damon a sexy nurse's outfit when they found out.

"What about you guys" Kris asked

Caroline just shrugged, she knew exactly what she feared most but she needed a hell of a lot more alcohol before she would admit it to herself or anyone else.

"I guess I could hand over the job of planning my wedding to Caroline, I fear the extravaganza she would come up with" the recently engaged Elena joked.

"Hey you know it we would be an amazing and flawless day" Caroline defended herself.

"True story" Kris said nodding "However if it an outdoor, we might to worry need to about her running off into the woods to have slutty wedding sex with one original hybrid that shall remain nameless"

Caroline pinned Kris with a stare that said she really wanted to kill her, and in that instant she could have a sworn she heard Klaus's laughter, but Kris capture her attention when she busted into song

"_I think I love you  
So what am I so afraid of?  
I'm afraid that I'm not sure of  
A love there is no cure for  
I think I love you  
Isn't that what life is made of?  
Though it worries me to say  
I've never felt this way" _

When Kris finished she shrugged innocently and said "What rule number 4"

"That wasn't from someone's playlist so it doesn't count and you're the devil you know that right" Caroline said.  
"Actually that song is on my playlist, so I think it counts" Elena laughed.

Caroline gave Elena a look that said she didn't believe her.

Elena shrugged "What I like the Partridge Family okay"

"Playlist or not it's appropriate," Kris laughed "And I am not the devil, I am the women that when I wake up in the morning"

"The devil says "oh shit she's up"" Elena and Caroline finished Kris favorite catch phrase in unison.

All three them of the burst into laughter.

"Whatever I am going to the bathroom" Caroline got up.

"Don't forget to bring the shots back with you" Elena and Kris said together

As soon as she was out of ear shot Kris turned to Elena " Where is this Klaus guy, are we sure he knows she here, and take another shot Damon just texted you"

Elena downed her shot " Trust he knows, there's no way my over protective fiancé let us plan this trip without calling him, and just to make sure I had Matt call Rebekah this morning to let her when we were arriving."

"Then where in the hell is" Kris asked with impatience in her voice

"I don't know it's Klaus he kind of does things on his own terms, but trust me he will show." Elena assured Kris.

"He better, if he's half as important to her as we all think he is then she needs him. I've watching her go from guy to guy over the last 7 years, feeling nothing more than momentary infatuation. She loves him I know it, you know it, Stefan knows it, hell I think even Damon knows it. She's spent that last 8 years trying to avoid something everyone already knows, hell if our lives were a T.V. show all the viewers at home would know they're supposed to be together. We just have you get her to admit it." Kris finished in a frustrated huff.

"I agree but we need to gently nudge her to her own conclusions" Elena said

Kris gave Elena a look that said Kris thought she was insane "Screw that noise, you have been gently nudging her for 2 years now, and it hasn't worked. If he shows tonight, I am pushing her off the cliff"

Of all the things Klaus had expected to hear tonight the conversation going between Elena and the red haired women he had never met was something he had never expected. He always thought Caroline's friends would something that kept them part, that she would allow their mistrust and hatred of him to overrule her own feelings. As much as he hated to admit it he was wrong. Apparently in the years they had spent apart thing had changed more than he could have ever expected. It was clear Elena was no longer the doe eyed doppelganger; he had once used to break the suppression of his werewolf half. He continued to listen to them talk, still unbelieving that a woman he didn't know and a women he had done awful things to were hoping he was going to show up.

When Caroline returned with shots, he watched them tense each other with harmless witty banter, and reminisce about college memories. They had gone to Machu Picchu sometime in their second year and ice skated in Rockefeller Center during their winter break in their third year. Celebrated their Bachelors Degrees and Elena's getting into medical school with their sorority sister on a night like this one in London, and their master degrees in Cabo. He couldn't help but smile at their memories, Caroline had gotten a chance to see parts of the world outside of Mystic Falls. The happiness in her voice, filled him with both joy and sadness, he caught himself wishing he could have been there with her, seen her face when she experienced the wonder of it all. He watched as Caroline and Elena completed a cheer routine from high school, he couldn't help but laugh. It was clear college had given Caroline the strength to not care what other people thought of her. However her capacity to love was still the same, the way she looked at her friends, let him know she loved them and thought of them as family. The light inside her that he had fallen in love with was still there, shinning brighter than ever.

As he watched them comply with every rule their sorority sister had given he still couldn't bring himself to walk over to her. Although her friends had it clear that she had some sort of feeling for him, it had not been her confession. He still had his pride, and he had already pursued her once and for one glorious moment won her in spite of herself, he would not do it again. He would not be her deep dark secret, the thing she hid from her friends and the person she hated herself for wanting. He had kept the promise he had made her, and would continue to keep it, for as long as it took her to come to him. There were many he things he was willing to do for her, but he was no longer alone in life. As much as college had changed her, the birth of his daughter had changed him. He now understood what it meant to truly love someone more than himself, to put some else's desires before his own and not think twice about it. Although he was still the big bad Klaus, and would do whatever he had to protect his home and family, he had built a life he was proud of and either she would be proud of him too, or stay out of it altogether. He could not stand idea that she would look around at everything he can accomplished, and still tell him he was unworthy of her love.

Caroline noticed that Kris eyes kept searching the room. "What are you looking for" she questioned.

"Oh nothing just waiting for your rule number 6, I keep expecting to him to walk through the door any minute now" Kris respond rising an eye brow at Elena.

"Alright I might be about nine sheets to the wind right now but I can still tell the two of you are hiding something, so spill" Caroline in a drunken hazily manor.

Elena and Kris looked at one another and shrugged innocently.

"Oh come on you two, I have known you both way to long for you try to hide stuff from me, Kris you have that look you get when you're dying to have an opinion about something, but are your trying to hold it in, and Elena you look more nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs." Caroline drunken laughed.

Elena and Kris looked each other again. It was Kris who spoke first "Alright then miss ballsie" she paused for a moment then said" Klaus"

The laughter disappeared from Caroline's voice "Ya what about him"

"Well we are in the city he controls" Kris started

"And he knows your here" Elena jumped in biting her lip afraid of Caroline's reaction.

"It's Klaus of course he knows I am here" Caroline matter of factly stated.

"And" Elena pressed

"And what" Caroline asked the sound of the deflection in her voice

"Your feelings on that" Elena pushed again

Caroline shrugged with indifference.

"Oh that's it" Kris said in an impatient, almost demanding tone "What the hell Care we tell you that Klaus knows you're in his city and nothing"

"What do you guys want from me?" Caroline fired back the hostility in her voice rising.

"Oh I don't know how about some kind of emotion, scream, cry, laugh hysterically, and yell at us, something anything is better than this wall you have built up around yourself. Tell us you want to leave and never look back, or tells us you want to go find him. God Care don't you see what this is doing to you?" Kris pleaded.

"I don't want to talk about it" Caroline fired back

"That's the same answer you gave us the first time we missed this trip, I am sick of you running scared, face your fears or let it go but don't keep hiding" Kris voice turned harsh and demanding, so much like Klaus' s it made a shiver run down Caroline's spine.

"You don't get it you don't understand" Caroline was inches from her best friends face screaming. To an outside observer it looked like they were seconds away from a blown cat fight.

Then Caroline's voice broke and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I am the one who made him promise to stay away and never come back, I am the one who pushed him away, and I am the one that couldn't face how I felt. I have no right to show back up into his life. I have no right to show up on his door step. And say yes Klaus I love you, I have loved you since the moment we parted and the shit just won't go away. And yes I carry the drawing you gave me everywhere in fact it's back at the hotel right now. And yes I still have the shirt ripped because I can't bear to throw it away. And yes I know about your daughter and I am so excited at the idea of meeting her. And yes I am terrified that you don't love me anymore. And yes I am terrified you have moved on."

Kris and Elena sat there in open shock at the feelings Caroline had just admitted too.

Caroline took a long and deep breath and as she was wiping away the tears that were streaming down her face she said "And Klaus you might as well come out of the shadows. How could you think I couldn't feel you watching me, of course I could."

Caroline turned and watched as Klaus stepped out of the shadows and into the light. She looked up at him with a tear soaked smile.

"Hello Caroline" was all Klaus could bring himself to say.

Kris and Elena flashed to Caroline sides and wrapped her in a hug, and at the same moment each placed a kiss on her cheeks.

Kris laughed as she said "Damn babe that's the Care we know and love. That's how you complete rule number 12, so proud of you."

Elena smiled at Caroline said "I believe that's our que to be going, oh ya and Kris and I voted"

"He's your rule number 6" Kris finished Elena's sentence, and nodded in Klaus's direction.

And with that they were gone leaving Caroline alone standing in front of the man she was finally ready to admit she loved.

"You wanted a confession, and this time I meant every word"


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for all the follows and favorites. I never intended this to be more than a one shot, but after your reviews I am absolutely willing to contuine with the story. What do we think about shipping Kris and Enzo ( I kinda love him as a character) or maybe Kris and Stefan? I keep imaging Caroline meeting Klaus's daughter during a tea party. Let's me know where you would like to see this story go, and where we want to see our characters 8 years in the future. Review or PM me and I will do my best to incorporated everyone's ideas.

Can't wait for your ideas

Cora


	3. Chapter 3

Klaus let Caroline's words sink in as an awkward silence filled the space between them. After all the time he had spent waiting for those words, longing for them, he had no clue what to do with them now that they had finally been spoken. A simple I love you in return didn't feel appropriate or grand enough to encompass everything Caroline's confession meant to him. Klaus couldn't seem to get his mind or his mouth to work. How did someone begin to respond to the words they had waited almost a decade to hear? Klaus knew he needed to say something, do something, he could feel nervousness radiating off of Caroline.

Caroline stood her ground although everything inside of her was screaming to run, to back petal to blame her not so little emotional outburst on the alcohol or a brain aneurysm. However she forced herself to stay and wade through the silence that seem to be spreading like an ocean between them. After all this was her moment, the moment she had known was coming the last time she had seen him, 7 years 10 months 18 days 11 hours and 45 seconds ago because of course her neurotic control freak of a self knew exactly how long it had been since she let Klaus walk out of her life. Although her first confession had been truthful, it had been limited to what she was willing to admit to herself at the time. This one was the one that mattered the one she knew would change her life one way or the other. Caroline wondered if this was how Klaus had felt all those years before when he promised to be her last love. A shiver of terror ran through her, but once again she forced to stay, she would not run from her feeling not this time, everything she said had been with complete and unfiltered honesty. She was Caroline Forbes, she could do this she could throw her whole heart out there and trust that Klaus would catch it.

Caroline wiped the last remaining tear from her face, and continued to wait for Klaus to respond, the ball was in his court, this was his chance to decide the fate of what happened between them. The seconds ticked by the awkward silence between them becoming deafening, Caroline could hardly stand it, silence was not something she did well under the best of circumstances, and right now this was killing her. She took a deep breathe to steady her resolve.

Then Caroline saw it. That smile the one Klaus seemed to hold only for her, it started off small at first, but within seconds it lit up his beautiful blue eyes. It was the same smile she had seen the moment after she had kissed him the first time. She didn't realize how much she had missed that smile until she was seeing it again for the second time. Caroline let out the breath she been holding and returned Klaus's genuine heartwarming smile one of her own.

Klaus flashed to Caroline and sweep her up in a kiss no words could describe. It was the kind of kiss you could feel all the way in your toes. A kiss so deep so passionate it as if through one act Klaus was trying to express almost a decade worth of emotions. Every moment of love and longing went in to that first kiss almost as though Klaus was afraid that this alone was his one chance to make her stay, that in the next moment she would be gone again. As Klaus broke that first kiss, Caroline replaced it with one of her own, bring one hand up to cup his cheek and the other to run through his hair. Caroline's kiss was one of confirmation, of reassurance. With every brush of her finger tips, every sweep of her tongue she conveyed that this was real, and this time she meant for this to last.

The intimacy of the moment was broken up not by Caroline and Klaus but by the sound of cheers, applause and whistles. As Caroline and Klaus broke apart, and turned towards the sounds of their disruption Klaus noticed that while he had been busy watching Caroline throughout the evening he had managed to miss the arrival of several nightwalkers, most of the inner circle which now included a vampire Cami, Marcel and even his sister.

"Oh bloody hell would the two you get a room, ugh my poor eyes" they heard Rebekah shout above everyone else. A joking all supportive smile lighting up Rebekah's face.

"Wait a minute is that Caroline?" Cami questioned excitedly leaning away from Marcel and towards Rebekah.

Rebekah simply nodded in reply.

"Oh thank God now he can stop whining about losing her every time he gets drunk" Cami finished

"I can hear you" Klaus grumbled back

Cami simply smiled leaning back into Marcel "I know that's why I said it" a hint of sarcasm in her tone

Caroline turned back to Klaus the smallest of a smug smile playing on her lips "Who's that"

Klaus grinned back at her not even attempting to hiding the truth behind Cami's words "That would be Cami Marcel's wife"

"Who is Marcel" Caroline questioned

Before Klaus could answer a rather over excited Marcel jumped up from the bar and started waving "That would be me, Hi new step mommy"

Caroline raised an eyebrow in confusion

"I'll explain later let's take a walk" Klaus offered his arm

Caroline grabbed her purse and looped her arm through Klaus "I would love to"

"Hey wait a minute where are you taking my new mommy" Marcel poutingly joked as they exited the bar.

Klaus and Caroline stepped out into the New Orleans night air, at the same time both took a deep calming breath, there was so much to be said so much to discuss. For Klaus declarations of love were not something he was in anyway familiar with especially when he returned those feeling and had something to lose.

"Your being oddly quiet, love" Klaus finally spoke after walking for a few minutes.

"Ya" Caroline looked down at her feet as they continued to walk down the street arm in arm. "Guess I just don't know where we go from here, I am kinda in uncharted territory"

For Caroline declarations of love had always been immediately followed by sex. It was what she did. Figured out that she loved someone then jumped into bed with them, but this time she wanted for things to be different. She wanted this to be real, not dependent on sex like so many of her past relationships.

Klaus broke the tension by simply shifting them into small talk, they might have a lot to discuss but that didn't mean they had to tackle it all right now.

"So you got your PhD" Klaus stated the obvious hoping distract them both from the thought running around in their minds

"Ya we're all doctors now. Elena's going to be starting her residence at the hospital in Mystic Falls, and I have a few job offers, but I haven't decided anything yet. So who were all those people in the bar?" Caroline giggled, small talk that she could handle, she might have finally admitted she loved him, but that didn't mean she had any clue what to do now, oh her poor neurotic control freak mind need to focus on something else.

"Members of the vampires community here, the ones with daylight rings are part of our trusted inner circle, then there was Cami who like I said is Marcel's wife, Marcel is like a son to me. I raised him from the age of 10 and when he was old enough I turned him, and of course you know Rebekah. How about you? " Klaus smiled. The slight look of confusion on Caroline's face prompted Klaus to add "Obliviously I know Elena but the other woman"

Caroline laughed "Oh Kris that's right you have never met Kris before"

Caroline was interrupted by the sound of text message coming through her phone, she let go of Klaus arm and opened the message "Speak of the devil and she shall appear" Caroline laughed again. The text from Kris read _Bunking with Elena, put my room key in your purse earlier…just in case. ;) Lunch tomorrow? I need details woman lots of details._

Klaus raised a questioning eyebrow. Caroline just shook her head like she was enjoying an inside joke "So what was I saying oh ya Kris, Elena and I met her during our second year at Whitmore and the connection was pretty instantiations. She was a baby vampire too. Kris came along at a time when it felt like we were all too afraid to move to afraid to breathe in case it set off the next big bad thing to happen you know after the veil, Bonnie's death and resurrection, Silas, Amara, the Augustine vampires, and of course the whole crouching Katherine hidden Elena drama, Kris was like a life line. I mean you saw her tonight her life force in intoxicating. She taught Elena and I to look at life from a completely different angle"

"You know love I can't help but feel like the whole crouching Katherine hidden Elena issue as you so poetically put it could have all been avoided if you had let me have my revenge" Klaus laughed

"Oh so you're saying you would have rather had your revenge then" Caroline tilted her head to one side daring him to give the wrong answer.

"Oh absolutely not love, abandoning my revenge for that one day with you was one of the best things to ever happen to me, well that and being in love with you" Klaus laughed

It took Klaus three steps to notice that Caroline was still planted in the same spot with a look of shock on her face.

As Klaus turned back towards her he asked "What's wrong love"

Caroline swallowed hard "You just said you're in love with me"

Confusion spread across Klaus "Yes I assumed you knew that I thought I made it quite clear in the past how I felt about you I told you"

Caroline cut him off "Um no you told me you fancied me and that you intended to be my last love and I told you that you were in love with me, but you have never actually said you're in love with me"

Klaus gave into some thought and smiled "I believe you might be right love"

Klaus turned back around and took another step as he heard Caroline clear her throat, a sound clearly meant to get his attention. As he turned back around towards her for a second time Klaus asked "Do you really need for me to say it for you to know how I feel about you"

Caroline gave out a frustrated huff and with complete exasperation said "Well considering that I just said it in a bar filled with I don't know how many people, Hmm lets me think about it" Caroline paused for a moment pretending to think "Yes"

Klaus took two step back towards Caroline took both of her hands in his, the look in his eyes was that of complete sincerity "Caroline I love you, always have always will"

Caroline took two slow steps towards Klaus so that space between them disappeared and their foreheads were almost touching "Good" a smile playing on her lips as met his lips with her own.

**I wanted to say Thank you to everyone who reviewed and followed this story. Special thanks to ****Ivy-Eve.**** I know this chapter is kind of short, but I am still working on where I want this story to go. Please Please feel free to give me your ideas or opinions on where you want to see our characters go from here. Like I said before I am thinking about shipping Kris and Enzo. Sorry to the all the Marcel/Rebekah fans but I am a Matt/Rebekah fan all the way. **

**Cora**


	4. Chapter 4

Kris was lying on her stomach; legs bent upward scissoring in the air, on one of the two queen size beds in the hotel room she was sharing with Elena for the evening. A blood bag was gripped in the corner of her mouth as she intently stared at Elena's phone trying to beat the current level of candy crush she was stuck on.

Removing the blood bag from her mouth Kris let out a frustrated huff "I have a freaking PhD but I can't seem to beat level 421 of this stupid game"

Elena laughed "Why don't you buy extra moves or one of the bonuses"

"Because that would be cheating" Kris answered in a sing song voice.

Elena through herself on to the bed next to Kris, lying on her back bending her knees, she turned her head to look at Kris "Do you think we made the right decision tonight? I mean we did leave Care alone with Klaus of all people"

Kris put down Elena's phone, finished the last gulp from the blood bag, and turn to stare straight into her best friend's big brown eyes her voice lost all of its joking tone and became serious "Do you really think Klaus would hurt her? If you do I have no problem going and finding her right now. We could be completely messed up best friends, change our opinions, and oppose this relationship. Even though we the ones who have spent the last two year pushing Caroline to admit how she feels, and helping her get out of her own way . I am willing to be that horrible of a person, but only if you truly honestly believe she is in danger and this isn't about your left over feeling of mistrust."

Elena turned her eyes away from Kris's intense green gaze and towards the ceiling. She laid there in silence staring at the off white color of the ceiling searching herself for answers. Did she really think Klaus would hurt Caroline? The answer came back as a resounding "NO" in her mind. She knew Klaus loved Caroline. She had first suspected it when Klaus showed up at their high school graduation to save the day, at Caroline's request. Elena didn't realize how real Klaus's feeling were until Caroline told her about his promise to leave and never come back. His promise to let her go.

The fact that Caroline shared Klaus's feelings had been more of a slow epiphany. Elena hated to admit it but it had taken Kris, Bonnie and her five years to figure it out. Caroline had been so good at hiding it from herself and everyone else. At first Elena had believed that Caroline's refusal to date and been about left over feeling for Tyler and the hope that they would get back together.

The first hint about Caroline's true feeling came on the day Caroline learned about Hayley and the birth of Klaus's daughter, her destructive temper tantrum, and subsequent two day stress cleaning spree had been a real eyes opener. But the three friends were at a loss on what to do, there was no way to know if Klaus still had feeling for Caroline, or if he had moved on, and Caroline was nowhere near ready to admit her feelings yet. As time went on and Caroline began to date but never truly get involved with someone, Elena had chucked it all up to living the college life. It wasn't until Caroline met a seemly perfect guy named Isaac, that the girls realized the depth of the truth. Isaac was everything Caroline had always talked about wanting, but still she hadn't been able to make a commitment. That's when they all realized the reason why their best friend couldn't commit to a relationship was because she was already in love with someone else.

"I am going to take your silence as a no" Kris interrupted Elena's thoughts "You know no one like their best friend's significant other mostly because you want someone who's perfect for your best friend when all they really need is someone who's perfect for them"

Elena looked back at Kris who had gone back to swiping away at candies on her phone.

"Okay oh wise one. Where do you come up with this stuff?" Elena rolled her eyes

Kris looked back at Elena and shrugged "It's mostly bullshit but for some unknown reason people tend to listen to me, I chalk it up to being the oldest of four kids"

"I'll remember that the next time I ask for your advice" Elena laughed

"I am going to let my inner bitch out for a second and say something you're not going to want to hear" Kris words were met by another eye roll from Elena "If Caroline can get over the fact that Damon tried to kill her at least twice you can get over the fact that Klaus tried to kill you at least twice, let the past be in the past. Love trumps hate. Beside you wouldn't have agreed to this plan if you didn't think it was what she really wanted. Trust Caroline and Trust yourself. Personally if I was you I would be less concerned about Caroline and Klaus, and more concerned about the fact that you basically agreed to let Caroline plan your wedding tonight"

"Ahh shit. Why did you let me do that?" Elena playfully nudged Kris in the shoulder with her elbow. After a moment of silence Elena continued with a serious response "Your right I know you're right, I knew when we agreed to try to bring them together that it was what was best for Caroline and I still know it now, I am being overprotective. It's just Klaus scares me probably in the same exact way Damon scared Caroline when we first started dating. I need to remember that no matter what Klaus has done in the past Caroline would not love someone who wasn't worth being saved."

Kris just smirked "Who's the wise one now"

Kris knew that Elena didn't really believe that Klaus would hurt Caroline, she never would have agreed to the plan that they had been working on for two years, if she did. Kris was more than willing to let Elena have her momentary freak out over the fact that now that their plan had actually worked it meant Klaus would become a permanent part of their lives. As long as that freak out didn't end up affect Caroline's happiness that is. Kris truly believed that love did trump hate, but more importantly she believed in Caroline. There was no way Caroline would love someone who wasn't worth it despite the things they had done in the past. Caroline was by no means an idiot so if Caroline had faith in Klaus that meant so did Kris. Unlike Elena, Kris was 100% certain that what they had done was the right thing. Fate didn't give you these kinds of opportunities if you were meant to take them. Kris couldn't help but smile as she remembered exactly how fate had showed them the doorway to their best friend's heart.

It had been the spring break of their 6th year, Elena was only months away from completing her second year at medical school, and Kris and Caroline were only months away from their Masters degrees. Since the plans for their Masters' celebration trip to Cabo were already set and ready to go, they decided to spend a quiet spring break in Mystic Falls. They were excited to hang out with Bonnie who had graduated two years ago, recently became a leader of the town council, was still helping supernaturals deal with their deaths, and the month prior had moved in with Jeremy. Caroline was spending part of the break with her mom visiting relatives. While Elena and Kris were coming straight to Mystic Falls, after dropping Elena off at the Salvatore boarding house, Kris headed to Lockwood Manor.

Kris let herself in the house dropped her duffle bag by the front door and yelled for Matt "Big brother I am home"

Kris didn't know exactly how or when it had happened but in the years since had she met the Mystic Falls group, she and Matt had developed a special bond. As far as Kris concerned Matt was her brother, a member of her family, she loved Matt with her whole heart and was fiercely protective over him. They had become their own family within the much larger family that was the Mystic Falls group. Matt was her home.

Kris was not greeted by Matt but by an unfamiliar blond vampire walking down the stairs wearing one of Matt's tee shirts. Although Kris had never met this woman she was 100% positive she knew exactly who this was.

"Hello" Kris said keeping an even tone.

"You must be Kris, personally I hate it when women go by male names but that's your choice" the superiority dripping from Rebekah's greeting

"And personally I hate it when a woman comes into my house and acts she superior to me" Rebekah's tone automatically sending Kris on the defensive.

"Your house" Rebekah said questioningly with a raised eye brow

"Yes my house, Matt is my big brother, like Elijah and Klaus are your big brothers, we might not be blood but that makes no difference to me" there was a possessiveness in Kris's voice.

The women circled each other sizing each other up before Rebekah spoke again "So you know who I am then"

"Yup Rebekah, original vampire likes to drop in and check on my brother a few times a year and then disappear again" Kris answered

There was a moment of silence before Rebekah smiled and said "I see why he loves you so much, I believe I made the right choice in coming here"

Kris smiled back allowing the tension in the room to break "Just between us girls, I have wanted to meet for a while now, he's happiest when you come to visit" Kris's voice then tuned ice cold "But you ever do anything to hurt him I will gouge your eyes out with a Spork"

"A Spork" Rebekah raised another eye brow questioningly.

"Ya a spork, combination of a spoon and fork, that way I can stab and scoop in one motion. Less work for me just as much pain for you and I imagine that if it's done right I'll have a pretty little souvenir at the end" Kris smirked

Rebekah let out a genuine laugh "I'll have to remember that one the next I torture someone. I believe I could become rather fond of you Kris but just between us girls remember I am an original and should you ever hurt him I will have no problem ripping your heart from your chest"

The two simply nodded at each reaching an unspoken agreement.

Kris smiled and bluntly asked "Do you love him?"

Rebekah waved her question away "I didn't come here to talk about me and Matt"

"Dodging the question, which means either you don't love him or you do love him but you don't want him to know that." Kris shrugged her shoulders "Then why are you here?"

Kris words had taken Rebekah a little off guard, but she recovered quickly and answered "I am here for my brother and for Caroline"

This time Kris was the one to raise an eye brow "What about Caroline?"

Rebekah removed all harshness from her voice almost as though she was talking to a friend  
and said "Why don't you ask Elena and Bonnie to come over I believe this many require all three of you"

Kris simply nodded and 20 minutes later all four women were sitting in the living room of Lockwood manor. Elena and Bonnie of course didn't trust Rebekah but as she spoke there was slightest of a pleading tone in her voice that made the three of them not only believe Rebekah but trust that her intentions were pure.

"I know you don't like me or my family, but I am hoping we can set aside our differences for the sake of two people we love. My brother has changed since you knew him. The birth of his daughter has brought out the humanity in him; He's not the monster you knew him as. He is now more than ever the man he wanted Caroline to see that he could be. As happy as he is there is still something missing for him and that something is Caroline. So I need your help to bring them together, I can't do it on my own. And as much as it kills me to be standing here asking for your help I owe my brother is. Once a long time ago I destroyed Nik's happiness and all I want is a chance to make it right. I don't know if Caroline still has any feeling for my brother, but in all the times I have returned to Mystic Falls, she has always been single, and Matt has mentioned that she hasn't wanted to get involved with anyone. I suppose I am hoping that Nik is what is missing for Caroline as well. I figure as her best friends you probably know more than anyone else. So do you think there is hope that Caroline could love my brother?"

Bonnie was the first one to speak "Look Care is not ready to admit how she feel to herself or anyone else yet this isn't going to happen overnight but yes recently we have all come to the conclusion that she loves Klaus."

Kris jumped in next "I don't know you or your family but for some reason I believe you and all we want is for Caroline to be happy and if that happiness is with Klaus then so be it. But if she falls in love with someone else were not going to stop her and were not going to force into choosing your brother if that's not where her heart truly lies."

Elena was the last to speak "There's a lot of bad blood between us and I can't believe I am about to say this and agree to this. However we know Klaus let her go, so she could complete all her plans and dreams which is enough for us to know the depth of his feelings. We also agree something is missing for Caroline too. Maybe that something is Klaus, maybe it isn't, but they deserve a second chance to find that out. So we will help you, we will do everything we can to help Caroline come to terms with her feelings, but at the end of the day they are Caroline's feeling and we will be supportive of whatever chooses."

Fate as a funny way of working things out and now just over two years later here they were in New Orleans.

Kris pulled herself back to the present as she heard Elena ask "So are you going to give me back my phone"

"Sure at some point, I only have two more lives left, plus I am totally enjoying watching you silently freaking out every time you miss a phone call or text from Damon" Kris laughed

"You're a sick, sick, human being you know that right" Elena said while halfheartedly attempting to steal her phone back from Kris's hands.

Kris pulled the phone just out of Elena's reach and smiled "Yup but you guys still love me"

Elena shook her head "If you're not going to give me back my phone then at least answer it, or Damon is going to think I have been kidnapped or that we have managed to get arrest again" giving Kris a pointed look.

Kris grimaced at the thought of their Cabo trip. "We're never going to live that one down are we? At least we figured how much alcohol it takes before we can no longer vamp speed away?"

Elena laughed "No I don't think so Damon likes to use against Caroline too much, you know the whole sheriff's daughter getting arrest thing."

Kris was laughing as the phone in her hand started to go off Damon's name scrolling across the screen "Dammit now I am going to lose my last life"

Sliding her finger across the screen Kris answered the phone "Hello tall, dark, and emotionally unstable, you have reached short, fiery, and emotionally blunt, if you would like to talk to Elena please press 1 if you would like to stop being a colossal pain in my ass please hang up and stop calling every 45 minutes"  
Kris smiled over at Elena as she waited for Damon's scathing retort. Witty sarcastic remarks and alcohol were the foundation of Kris and Damon's friendship.

Kris was caught off guard by the sound of unfamiliar laughter on the other end of the phone "Most people just call me Enzo, but I would care to wager you're not like most people are you, Lovely. Got a name? Short, emotionally blunt, and fiery was it"

"Um ya I am a red head" Kris practically stuttered into the phone. Kris mentally face palmed herself. Really I am red head of all the stupid things to saying you had to choose that one. What the hell just because some guy with a super sexy accent answers you forget how to think? Name. That's right he asked for your name. Kris's mind went completely blank. Dammit what's my name?

"Is that Kris tell her to put Elena on the God Damn phone right now" the sound of Damon's voice pulled Kris from her mental flat line, and right back into action

"Tell Damon to take a chill pill, Elena's fine she sitting right here rolling her eyes at both of us, I just had her phone all night"

"You were playing another one of your stupid games again weren't you. Don't you remember what happened last time" Damon fired back

Kris didn't even have time to respond before an all too familiar voice popped up from the background "Damon leave my little sister alone"

Kris smiled Matt; of course he would run to her defense like any good big brother.

Kris's vampire hearing picked up the sounds of a semi truck's horn in the back ground "Wait a minute where are you guys?"

Stefan's voice popped in than saying "Just outside the Virginia state line on our way to New Orleans, How did everything go with Caroline?"

Enzo's buttery smooth accent cut in "Yes Damon was quite sure all of you were damsels in distress in need of saving"

Once again Kris's brain flat lined as soon as she heard Enzo's voice. Mentally she screamed at herself. Hello insert witty comment here, what the hell was wrong with her, it was just a guy no different than any other. Just because his voice sounded like velvet didn't mean she had to lose herself in it. Think. Kris. Think.

"Ya well if you knew anything about me, you would know I don't do damsel in distress" Kris finally responded the statement coming out more catty then witty.

"I'll take that as a challenge then Fiery" Enzo's voice practically purred into the phone.  
And with that he hung up

Kris looked up at Elena like a deer in the headlights; she almost looked terrified, her eyes wide with shock, and searching like she somehow expected Elena to explain to her what the hell had just happened. Kris tossed the phone away from her like it had burned her and she was suddenly afraid of it.

Elena held back a laugh, as she watched her quick witted always ready with a comeback best friend sit there utterly speech less. Elena was almost positive Kris had forgotten how to breathe for a second. This might the first time Elena had ever seen Kris leave a conversation with a guy without having the upper hand. Oh this could get very interesting very quickly, wait until she told Caroline.

**Thank you for reading, hope everyone liked the update, please please review. and as always please feel free to give me any ideas you have on things you would like to see happen. **

**p.s I am actually stuck on 421 in candy crush lol **


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